BROOKHAVEN, Ga. — Three Mexican citizens appeared in federal court this week on charges related to the operation of a methamphetamine laboratory in a Brookhaven backyard.
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Sergio Cortes-Nieto, Christian Martinez Larumbe Dominguez and José Angel Cortes Raquel were charged with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine following their arrests on Feb. 20, 2026.
During a search of the home, Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized 100 pounds of liquid methamphetamine and 50 liters of solution. Federal investigators confirmed that all three men are citizens of Mexico who are illegally present in the United States.
Cortes-Nieto, 53, Martinez Dominguez, 31 and José Angel Raquel, 39, appeared before a judge on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. These charges followed a DEA investigation at a Brookhaven home on Feb. 20.
During the search of the home, agents discovered the methamphetamine laboratory hidden under a tent in the backyard. Agents found Raquel and Dominguez allegedly operating the lab. While Raquel tried to run from the scene, he was quickly caught by agents.
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The seizure included 100 pounds of liquid methamphetamine mixed and concealed in concrete. Agents also found an additional 50 liters of a liquid methamphetamine solution. Cortes-Nieto was arrested earlier that same day at a storage facility near the home.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg stated that the operation was located in a residential neighborhood.
“These illegal aliens, including a fugitive from justice charged with trafficking more than a ton of methamphetamine that agents removed from the streets in a record-breaking seizure, were allegedly audaciously operating a drug lab in the backyard of a suburban home,” Hertzberg said. “To ensure that the cartels never secure a foothold in North Georgia, even as they try to embed themselves in our neighborhoods, we will continue to aggressively prosecute the criminals responsible for manufacturing and distributing this poison.”
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Jae W. Chung, special agent in charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, noted that the lab was in close proximity to children and families. “That level of disregard for human life is unacceptable,” Chung said. “Our priority remains protecting the public from the devastating impact of illegal drug manufacturing.”
Raquel faced an additional arraignment on a separate indictment involving an incident from Aug. 8, 2024. In that case, he allegedly coordinated the delivery of 2,370 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in boxes of celery. That record-breaking seizure occurred at the Atlanta State Farmers Market in Forest Park, Ga.
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